Consider the tolerance, runout and alignment of your power saw blades when making cuts. Depending on the tolerance of your tools, you may find that dimensions are adjusted by approximately 3mm. When choosing your 2x4, try to get one without any knots or imperfections (this may seem impossible, but keep digging through the pile!) You'll be screwing into the edge grain, so it's important that those sides are clear. You can usually cut around the worst spots like this funky end piece. Cut the 2x4 angled pieces

French cleats are pretty forgiving. Cleats can be made with just about any type of wood. You could use solid wood like 1×4s and 1×6s. Or you could use ½” or ¾” plywood that has been ripped into strips. Inspect the cables and blade of the chop saw and circular saw before they are plugged in, to ensure they are in good condition. If any of the elements need to be replaced, make sure this is done before construction begins. The other cleat is attached to the studs in the wall, with the bevel facing up and away from the wall. Put the hangboard on top of the 2x4s, and move the middle ones around until they line up with the holes in the hangboard. Mark their position on the plywood base. MARK THE Countersink Holes Next, I placed the Kreg Straight Edge Guide on my workpiece. I positioned the cut line indicators on my marks, clamped the guide, and pushed the cut line indicators towards the guide.

Get creative with your cleat system

To maximise the sheet timber, we have designed our cleats so that they are 5 inches or approximately 130mm wide. You can easily tweak this measurement to suit your space and custom design.

Since this hangboard will be installed right outside our guest room, I wanted it to look a little less ... rough. So I cut a scrap of ¼" plywood to fit on the top and bottom to cover up the mini studs and create a nice, neat box. Measure the distance from the edge of the board to the mark. If you're using a table saw, set the fence to that distance. For a circular saw or jig saw, draw a line down the length of the board. Use an edge guide for circular saw or jig saw Fasteners are not needed to join the cleats together. Because fasteners are not required, you can separate the cleats, and the item can easily be removed and reconfigured. French cleats are a popular way to store tools in a workshop because of the ability to remove and reconfigure them. Somewhere on your saw, there should be a knob that allows you to tilt the blade. Loosen the knob, then set the angle for 45 degrees.NOTE: If you’re making cleats for a single object, the pieces don’t have to be the same width. But you may want the cleats to be the same for some projects. Let’s say you wanted to make a batch of french cleats for a tool storage wall. You’ll likely want the cleats to be the same width. Making the cleats the same will ensure that the objects can be removed, and reconfigured and all of the cleats will fit together correctly.

Then hold the angled piece with the point facing UP and AWAY from the wall (you shouldn't be able to read the "WALL" you wrote on it). Match the board up with the studs in the wall, and mark where to predrill the holes. For safety, you need to attach the hangboard mount to two studs. Drill the Countersink Holes

Aftercare

Setting the blade 2″ to 3″ above the workpiece produces the least friction and the least amount of heat. But it also creates a greater chance for injury because more of the blade is exposed. I set my blade about an ⅛” above the material. Setting the blade an ⅛” above the material helps to reduce injuries because a smaller amount of the blade is exposed. Hold each board over the edge of the workbench, and drill the countersink holes at your marked spots. If you've never done this before, you can learn all about the technique here. As I mentioned earlier, french cleats are forgiving, but there are some general recommendations regarding the size of the cleats. I made this box just deep enough for my skinny little boy to hang comfortably without hitting the wall. Feel free to change the 2x4 to a 2x6 if you need a bit more room. You could even use ¾" plywood for the sides to make it as deep as you want! Cut the wood Pieces My son was thrilled to try out his new hangboard mount as soon as he got home from school. He can just barely reach the bottom holds when he stands on his tiptoes, so he has plenty of room to grow! (Can I just brag for a minute about the fact that he's holding his entire body up by four fingers? I can't do that!)

Hopefully this hangboard mount will help solve the same problem we had! It's great for mounting lower to the ground for shorties like my son, and you can hide it away in a discrete corner if you don't want to mount a big plastic thing over the door. The problem is, most hangboards are mounted over a doorway, so your body can swing in the opening. But my son can't reach the top of the door! Even if he used a step stool, our ceilings upstairs are really short and there's no space above the door.Building a French cleat wall involves cutting the cleats on angles and then attaching them securely to an existing wall, so you’ll need a basic knowledge of carpentry principles, including the ability to measure accurately and make clean cutsusing a table saw. 1. Choose the Right Material The top board will be screwed into the box, and the bottom board will be attached to the wall. You only want to drill holes in the solid side, not the angled part of the 2x4, so mark a line 2" down along the entire length. I built this upholstered headboard for our bedroom, and used a metal French cleat to hold it close to the wall at the perfect height. This is also the recommended way to hang a heavy mirror or artwork. Flower Boxes Our step by step instructions are designed as a guideline to build a French cleat storage system and a timber toolbox.